IT’S OFFICIAL: Goldman Sachs is ready to lend you money

Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein.REUTERS/Rebecca Cook

Goldman Sachs on Thursday officially launched its consumer loan platform, Marcus.

The online lending tool, which you can find at Marcus.com, will offer fixed-rate, no-fee personal loans of up to $30,000 for two- to six-year periods.

“Marcus offers an option for consumers who are searching for a simpler alternative to credit card borrowing, where rates can change and multiple fees can be charged,” said Harit Talwar, who is leading the initiative for Goldman Sachs.

The platform is named after the firm’s cofounder, Marcus Goldman. Internally, it is seen as a startup within Goldman Sachs.

The launch marks another step towards consumer retail banking for Goldman, which is arguably the best known investment bank in the world. The firm in April launched a digital savings account on GSBank.com, offering customers a 1.05% interest rate on their deposits, which can be as little as $1.Screenshot/Marcus.com

The bank has around 200 people working on Marcus, with 120 in New York and 80 in Salt Lake. About one third of those people come from retail banking, one third come from tech, and one third from within Goldman Sachs.

Marcus has no origination, prepayment, or late fees — Goldman Sachs makes money on the interest, the website prominently states — and it allows customers to choose their monthly payment date and customize payment size and loan tenure.

Customers can only take out one loan at a time.

Goldman will mail a code to millions of prospective customers, enabling them to apply. Down the road, the product will be available more broadly.